All You Need is a Little Heart
by Lady Detective
Summary: Storybrooke has a karaoke competition. Sometimes, the songs we pick can be very revealing. Emma and Regina and the very beginnings of Swan Queen.


**Author's Note:** Hello there! I essentially woke up with this story this morning, so I thought I'd share. It is set sometime in the near future where everyone has returned to Storybrooke and all is well, and I hope you enjoy. The songs are "Alone" by Heart and "She Drives Me Crazy" by the Fine Young Cannibals, and I own absolutely nothing.

* * *

For everything they had been through, the citizens of Storybrooke still loved a good event. After things had settled a little, or as much as they could, Ruby and Belle and a few others had been working together to plan the occasional community night: readings at the library, dances in the Town Square, and tonight, an evening of karaoke. The school gym had been set up like a club, with tables and food and drink and stages for the singers, even a smaller one for the younger kids. There had been all sorts of singing already, good and bad, when Ruby came up to the main microphone to make an announcement.

"Attention everyone! Thanks for being here tonight!" Ruby continued through the approving cheers. "I hope everyone's been having a good time, but now it's time for the main event. As we have found out, some of you may think you can sing," she paused for the general chuckle that rolled through the crowd. "But the real question is, are you good enough to win? That's right, we're having a contest—one song, one chance to win a dinner for two at Storybrooke's finest dining establishment, Granny's! Your judges will be myself, the beautiful lady Belle, the magical Nova, and our very own Simon Cowell, Leroy, so if you think your chances are good, head on over to Belle to sign up! We'll start in five minutes!"

Ruby flashed a grin and as a few brave souls made their way to Belle's table, Henry made a beeline from his friends towards where his moms were sitting together.

Emma essentially had to be at all major events as Sheriff, but this was one of the better nights as there had certainly been some funny moments and Ruby had promised she wouldn't make her sing. Oddly, she had spent most of the night exchanging commentary with Regina who, recently having been reappointed to her position as mayor, was trying to improve her image in the community. Though if anyone had been listening to their quips, Emma was sure both her and Regina's approval ratings would be in the dump.

"So Regina, you entering the contest?"

"I think not." Regina rolled her eyes but she was cut off by Henry appearing at her side.

"Mom, you have to! You're a great singer! You'd totally win!"

Her scorn softened, but she tried to remain resolute. "I don't think so, Henry…"

"C'mon, Mom, please?" He fixed her with the biggest puppy eyes he had, knowing his mother's weakness.

"Yeah, Regina, why not?" Emma smiled. This could be interesting.

Regina snapped her focus back to Emma. "Miss Swan, do _you_ have any intention of embarrassing yourself this evening?"

"Uh, no. I don't sing. Nobody wants to hear that."

"My point."

Emma realized Henry had been doing a better job convincing her on his own, and he gave her a look that said he knew it, too. She scrambled to make up for it as Belle's line grew shorter and shorter.

"But Regina, Henry says you're a great singer! It wouldn't be embarrassing for you. It's your chance to show everyone up!" She was getting somewhere, but without Henry's superpower, it would require making a deal that the Queen could not refuse. She leaned in. "If you sing one, I'll sing one."

Regina's eyebrow quirked up. "Really, Miss Swan?"

Emma reeled in her catch. "Yep. It's good for the town's leaders to get involved, right? I'll even go right after you to maximize my potential shame." She paused for effect before adding, "How could you lose?"

Regina looked at her, then at Henry, and gave in. Emma's discomfiture would certainly be worth any of her own. "Alright, fine. But this really is ridiculous."

"Nobody said it wasn't." Emma jumped up. "C'mon kid, let's help your mom get signed up!"

Regina rose from her seat and fixed Emma with a teasing stare. "Uh uh, I'll go alone. I wouldn't want anyone to know what I'm singing." As she waltzed off to sign up, Emma looked at Henry for hints, but he only grinned widely.

Why did she get the feeling this had been a terrible idea?

* * *

So far it had been clear that these fairytale characters were not as vocally blessed as their Disney counterparts. Emma was glad to know that at least in comparison she wouldn't be so awful, but there was still one important person left to go before her.

Ruby came up to the microphone. "Next up, singing a very special surprise song, is Madam Mayor Mills!"

Regina stood up and glanced over at Henry before walking up the stage to a mild smattering of applause. Just because she was Mayor again didn't mean people had started liking her. She was simply the most—if not only person—qualified for the job.

As she graciously smiled at Ruby and took the microphone, for a split second, Regina actually looked nervous before she spotted Emma in the crowd and flashed her a deliciously wicked grin.

And Emma knew why as soon as the music started.

"I hear the ticking of the clock

I'm lying here the room's pitch dark…"

If Regina's speaking voice was sex, her singing voice was molten gold. If it weren't for the whole Evil Queen/Mayor of a cursed town racket, she should have been a lounge singer.

"I wonder where you are tonight

No answer on the telephone

And the night goes by so very slow

Oh, I hope that it won't end though

Alone…

"'Til now, I always got by on my own

I never really cared until I met you

And now it chills me to the bone,

How do I get you alone?

How do I get you alone?"

It was as if she had put another curse on the town. The entire audience was rapt with attention, even those who had been previously milling about. Regina's voice was one thing. But to see their former Mayor and Queen go full out into the chorus of an 80's power ballad? Well, that was another thing all together.

Henry was the only person not shocked in the least. In fact, he was grinning ear to ear, and Emma was certain that he and his mom used to have their own rock out nights. What a lucky kid.

"You don't know how long I have wanted

To touch your lips and hold you tight, oh"

Regina had started the verse staring directly at Emma, and while the Sheriff tried to rationalize that it was just a song, she felt that molten gold seep into her veins, warming her with nervous electricity…until that moan. It was just supposed to be an "oh" the way all rockers adlibbed, but in Regina's capable throat it sent shockwaves through Emma's very core. If this wasn't the sexiest thing she had ever seen, ever heard…her senses were overloaded, and there was so much more of the song to go.

"You don't know how long I have waited

And I was gonna tell you tonight

But the secret is still my own

And my love for you is still unknown

Alone…"

Emma found herself having to reaffirm that there were in fact, other people in the room as Regina's gaze remained on her. Could she possibly mean the lyrics? Emma knew that Regina Mills never did anything randomly, but was it just torture for making her sign up in the first place, or was there truth to the words?

As the verse ended, Regina swayed with the drums, her wail joining in perfect timing. She had directed her attention back to Henry who was jamming along with his mom.

"'Til now I always got by on my own

I never really cared until I met you

And now it chills me to the bone

How do I get you alone?

How do I get you alone?"

Even during the instrumentals, Regina owned the stage like any rock star, strutting, swinging her hips, tossing her hair around, all despite the fact that she was dressed as proper as ever in a silk blouse and pencil skirt. It wasn't surprising she hadn't needed to dress for the part to own it. All you had to do was imagine the leather pants, which was exactly what Emma was doing, despite her best efforts not to.

"How do I get you alone?

How do I get you alone?

Alone…

Alone…"

As the final piano played out, Regina straightened up, falling right back into the role of Mayor as she looked out into the crowd. If you were really looking, you could see the nervousness flash across her face once again as her audience remained silent in shock. Finally, Henry whooped and Emma joined in, giving Regina a standing ovation, and the others finally came to and cheered along. The roar was impressive. They really were cheering her, well deservedly, of course, but it was hard to imagine this crowd cheering the Evil Queen for anything. As Regina gave a little bow and left the stage, she wondered how her reign might have been different with some '80s rock.

Henry ran over as she came down the stairs and bowled into her. "Mom! I told you you'd be awesome!"

"Thank you, dear." She held his head to her chest, deciding that if nothing else, the performance had been worth it just to get this hug.

He pulled away to look at Emma. "Wasn't she great, Emma?"

Emma felt increasingly awkward, the heat from before not ending with the song but rather increasing as Regina came close enough to touch.

"Yeah, yeah, kid, she really was." She looked up to meet expectant brown eyes. "That was…really great, Regina."

As Regina smiled, Emma swore she could see the same mischievous glimmer that she had at the beginning of the song. "Thank you, Emma."

Their moment was cut off as Ruby once again took the microphone.

"Our final contestant this evening is the one, the only, your Sheriff, your Savior, Emma Swan!"

"Oh, God." Emma froze in horror as Regina let out a little laugh.

"Did you forget about our little deal, Sheriff?"

"No, no, just a little distracted." Emma blushed. Now she was awkward and bad at singing and she had to go on after the only person who could make her look absolutely horrible who was also the person who currently had her stomach in knots.

"I see. Well, I for one cannot wait to hear what you have to sing." Regina smiled at Henry who was still standing at her side.

"Ugh, don't tease, Regina. It'll be plenty bad."

"Don't worry, Emma, I fixed your song."

Emma's jaw dropped. "Wait, Henry, you what?"

"I changed your song! Ruby helped."

"Henry, why would you do that? What if I don't know it?"

"I know you do!" Henry protested. "I heard you singing it in the shower and I looked it up! Even you can sing it, Emma!"

"Ugh, fine, Henry, what exactly am I singing?"

"You'll see!" With that, he ran away with a grin, and Regina gave her what was almost a sympathetic smile.

Emma trudged up the steps like she was walking to her execution, and as Ruby handed her the microphone with a wink, Emma gave her best scowl before turning to face the screen. Waiting for the lyrics to pop up, she ran through all of the songs she knew in her head, trying to figure out which one it could be, but as the music played and the words ran across the screen, she turned bright red.

_"I can't stop the way I feel_

_Things you do don't seem real_

_Tell me what you've got in mind_

_'Cause we're runnin' out of time_

_Won't you ever set me free_

_This waiting round is killing me_

_She drives me crazy_

_Like no one else_

_She drives me crazy_

_And I can't help myself."_

* * *

As Emma came down from the stage to the amused cheering of the crowd, Henry gave her a similar hug to the one he had given Regina, but Emma was in less of a mood to accept it, her face still burning despite the good effort she had shown. Ruby was most certainly going to get a talking to for encouraging him, but at least now it was over. Now, she could go back to thinking about Regina's performance and not how her performance had most certainly been inspired by the infuriating, beautiful brunette.

"You did it! See? I told you it'd be fine!"

"Yeah, you did, kid. I still wish you would've given me a heads up."

"Is that song a particular favorite of yours, Miss Swan?" Regina had walked over to join them, grinning like she had gone all in with a royal flush.

As Emma fought to beat the blush down from her cheeks, she managed to ask, "Was yours?"

Emma could swear that Regina was fighting her own blush, when Ruby once again cut in.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was quite the competition! Your illustrious judges have consulted, and it appears we have a tie! Sheriff Swan and Mayor Mills, could you both come to the stage?"

Emma glanced at Ruby for confirmation, and receiving it, allowed Regina to take the lead, thinking this night couldn't get much weirder.

"Now, we didn't account for this when we had the competition in mind, but…"

"Ruby, if I may?" Regina interrupted and reached for the microphone, which Ruby handed over, albeit with suspicion.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to say—thank you for planning this lovely evening, and thank you for considering me, but I would like to cede the win to Sheriff Swan—I believe she earned it, don't you?"

She handed the microphone back to Ruby, who, still a bit bewildered, asked the crowd, "What do you think?"

The people cheered and the judges nodded appreciatively, and Ruby continued, "Well, okay then! Thank you Mayor Mills. Tonight's karaoke champion is Sheriff Emma Swan!" As she accepted the applause and her prize, Emma turned to look at Regina who was also clapping but more surprisingly, seemed genuinely happy. Like it wasn't just a political move. Emma was beginning to think that maybe Henry's somewhat unfortunate song choice wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

The women both greeted admirers in the crowd, with many people actually complimenting Regina on her performance when they wouldn't have normally talked to her at all. Slowly, everyone made their way out of the gym, leaving Regina and Emma side by side, watching Henry as he said his goodbyes and accepted congratulations on behalf of his mothers.

"Hey, Regina." Emma looked over at the former Queen who still appeared oddly content. It was a new but decidedly good look on her. "Thanks for letting me win. It really took some of the sting off the humiliation."

"Please, Miss Swan, it's nothing. I don't need free meals at Granny's." She was trying for haughty, but it didn't mesh well with her benevolent vibe so it was mostly just the truth. Emma decided right then, that if there ever were a time to attempt what she was thinking of attempting, it was now.

"Well, you're gonna get one anyway."

"What?" Regina looked back at her, wondering where this was going.

"Mayor Mills, I'm taking you to dinner."

"You are."

"Yep. Tomorrow night. Henry will be at a friend's. I was planning to be _alone_ for the evening. But I'd rather spend it with you." Emma had no idea where this boldness was coming from, but she figured you could only be so embarrassed in one evening, and the Queen wasn't in a killing mood. So she took it as far as she could when she kissed the brunette softly on the cheek and said, "Pick you up at 7."

She turned and walked towards the door, leaving a shocked Regina in her wake. She was almost on the other side of the room when she heard a quiet "Emma?" and her heart sank thinking maybe she hadn't gotten away with it after all. She turned to face the brunette who was now staring her directly in the eye, the woman in charge she was so familiar with back in full force.

"Exactly how crazy are we talking?"

Emma beamed as she heard the question.

"You'll find out tomorrow!"


End file.
